New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday stayed till July 2 the cutting of more than 16,000 trees for redeveloping residential facilities for central government employees in south Delhi, questioning the Centre’s decision to issue the order.
“Can Delhi afford to cut of trees for the development of roads and buildings?” the court asked NBCC (India) Ltd, the state-owned real estate company which is redeveloping the seven colonies.
The high court will hear the matter next on July 4 and the National Green Tribunal will hear the case on July 2.
The permission to cut the trees led to a political blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Union government as thousands of people in Sarojini Nagar on Sunday protested the Centre’s decision to cut the tree
The Delhi government’s forest department had given the go-ahead for felling at least 16,500 fully-grown trees in the seven neighbourhoods. A statement issued by the Union urban and housing affairs ministry on Thursday claimed that only 14,031 trees are to be cut.